Sharing the Knowledge

There’s an old saying: “Those who can: do; those who can’t: teach.” This can sound quite discouraging for someone who is considering a career as a teacher. It seems like these words denote someone who “has not made it” as a professional and is only left with the option of teaching. Not once I have encountered a teacher or tutor who was not obviously bored and uninterested in their work; dogmatically instructing a certain course that had proven to be successful. I was invariably disappointed by the absence of what I consider being the most essential factor in the process of learning – the transmission of knowledge.

In our digital era, we have instant access to any type of information, yet the accumulation of information alone does not necessarily bring about knowledge, especially in the performing arts. Knowledge is something cultivated by years of work and study, through love and creativity from both student and teacher, in which the idea of “sharing” is an essential part. Sharing in itself is an essential part of our existence. It is my strong belief that the real “sharing” is not just an idea or convenience but an emotional experience that enriches our lives. It is this emotional involvement that makes the communication of knowledge possible. The realization that we do not teach a subject; we teach a student, an individual, a human being.